HOW THE WORLD WORKS

A Hands-on Guide to Our Amazing Planet

Age Range: 7 - 11

This chock-full-of-facts survey of earth and environmental science sets itself an ambitious goal, covering the Big Bang, seasons, the beginnings of life, continental drift, the water cycle, weather, oceanic currents, carbon, the greenhouse effect, photosynthesis and the food chain. It does this in diagram-heavy spreads enhanced with pop-ups and pull-tabs. At their best—as in demonstrating the different types of tectonic plate action and showing, layer by layer, the carbon footprint of a cheeseburger—the movable elements add dramatically to the information conveyed. At worst, they simply provide more surface area to cram facts into. Dizzyingly busy, this exploration provides plenty of information and some naked environmental exhortation (“having a small carbon footprint is much better for the planet than having a big one!”); young eco-browsers will return for multiple readings. (Pop-up nonfiction. 7-11)